10 Reasons Tim Howard Fever Is Here to Stay

Tim Howard, the chrome-domed and bearded goalkeeper whose leaps, punches, and grabs electrified soccer observers throughout the World Cup, is headed home from Brazil. The United States lost 2-1 to Belgium on Tuesday night, ending an at-times spotty but always exciting run, throughout which Howard emerged as the most popular U.S. player. His 16 saves in Tuesday’s game were the most in recorded World Cup history.

While other U.S. players offered flashes of brilliance (Clint Dempsey stunned, even while playing with a broken nose), the Cup—as far as America is concerned—belongs to Howard. So whether you’re a late-blooming Howard fan or simply in need of another chance to celebrate him, let the below memes and bits of trivia be your guide.

His yearbook quote, a reference to Public Enemy’s landmark 1988 album, is as inspiring as you’d expect:

Howard has Tourette’s syndrome, and has spoken openly and inspiringly about how he handles muscle tics during a game. “As soon as things get serious in front of the goal, I don't have any twitches; my muscles obey me then . . . I have no idea. Not even the doctors can explain it to me. It's probably because at that moment my concentration on the game is stronger than the Tourette syndrome.”